Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night is a name given to various annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. The event celebrates different traditions on different dates, depending on the country. Some of the most popular instances include Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) in the United Kingdom, which is also celebrated in some Commonwealth countries; Northern Ireland's Eleventh Night (11 July), and 5 November in Newfoundland and Labrador. Often known as St John's Eve (23 June), a similar bonfire tradition survives in parts of Ireland as well as Scandinavia where it is known as Walpurgis Night (30th April). St John's Eve is also a very important celebration in Galicia and Northern Portugal. Several other cultures also include night-time celebrations involving bonfires and/or fireworks.

Bonfire Night is also celebrated in Northern Ireland on 9 August in republican communities to mark the anniversary of the introduction of internment in 1971 (Operation Demetrius).

In Great Britain, Bonfire Night is associated with the tradition of celebrating the failure of Guy Fawkes' actions on 5 November 1605. The British festival is, therefore, on 5 November, although some commercially driven events are held at a weekend near to the correct date, to maximise attendance. Bonfire night's sectarian significance has generally been lost: it is now usually just a night of revelry with a bonfire and fireworks, although an effigy of Guy Fawkes is burned on the fire. Celebrations are held throughout Great Britain; in some non-Catholic communities in Northern Ireland; and in some other parts of the Commonwealth. In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, 5 November is commemorated with bonfires and firework displays, and it is officially celebrated in South Africa.

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